Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 11

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: The Shadows of Time
Author: Ryukotsusei
Fandom: Inuyasha and Trinity Blood
Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Violence, torture, character deaths, language, lemons, spoilers for the entire series just to be safe, and the possibility of out of character characterizations. Read at your own risk.

Pairings: Tres Iqus x Kagome Higurashi x Abel Nightroad

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Trinity Blood. The series belong to Rumiko Takahashi, and the late Sunao Yoshido. I make no money off of this fan fiction.

Special thanks to KogasHentaiLuver for taking the time to beta this chapter. And thank you to everyone who has chosen to review thus far.

Chapter Eleven

The sound of mocking laughter reached her ears, forcing Kagome to open her eyes, but all she could see was the darkness that surrounded her. Had she lost track of time and the night of the new moon had come upon them? Frantically her mind worked, trying to determine if that was indeed the case and she tentatively stretched out a hand in front of her.

It was no surprise when it met nothing but air; however, the sound of that haunting laughter filled the air again, causing her to shudder violently. She knew that laughter better than anyone did and suddenly she was struck with an uncontrollable fear. “Inuyasha?” she called out, hoping that the hanyou was somewhere nearby and could come to her aid.

Unfortunately there was no answer, nothing but that mocking laughter that taunted her with the cruel reality that she had somehow fallen into enemy hands again. “Inuyasha!” she screamed again and backed away, even though she couldn't see more than a couple of inches in any direction. “Tres? Father Nightroad? Please, someone answer me!”

Suddenly her back encountered something hard and she barely stifled the scream of fear that threatened to tear itself free from her throat. She only relaxed slightly when she realized she'd backed into a tree. The rough feel of the bark was somehow reassuring, telling her that she was at least still in the forest and not confined to some dark dungeon where even the light had been taken from her.

Still, the feeling of wrongness wouldn't escape her and soon after, the faint, metallic scent of blood reached her, growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment. There was no denying that it was the cloying scent of blood, a sure sign of the death that had to be surrounding her. It was the only explanation she could come up with. Somehow, someway, Naraku had managed to kill her companions and he'd saved her for last. Why else wouldn't the others come when she called?

The urge to flee was becoming overwhelming even if she had no idea where she could go to escape her tormentor. It didn't matter though, anything was better than standing there waiting to be struck down by an unseen enemy. However, as soon as she took a step away from the tree, a fleshy appendage wrapped around her waist and pinned her in place making her scream again, even if there was no one to help her.

“Let me go!” she screamed and tried to pry the tentacle off of her body. Frantically, her nails dug into the flesh, peeling long gouges out of its surface, but still there was no hope for escape. Heat exploded all around her body and her eyes widened in horror with the knowledge of what was coming.

“No, please not again! Inuyasha! Tres! Please... ” her voice came out in choked sobs as she struggled, but deep in her heart she knew that she was completely alone. There was no knight in shining armor that would come to rescue her this time. In the end, she would die alone, just as she had the first time. All she could do was wait and endure the searing pain that was only moments away.

The sound of tearing cloth filled the air and the feel of the cool night air caressing her flesh told Kagome that her shirt had been completely ripped down the front, leaving her to wonder just what else he planned to do in order to prolong her agony. The soft firelight surrounded her, illuminating the area, yet, she still couldn't pinpoint just where Naraku was. Yet, just because she couldn't see him didn't mean that he wasn't there and it filled her with anger.

A small flame bloomed directly in front of her, hovering in mid air before slowly moving closer. The moment it touched the sensitive flesh of her stomach a scream worked its way free from her chest, piercing the air that surrounded her. With agonizing slowness, it worked its way up her torso and across her breasts, leaving terrible burns in its wake. But before it could continue a path up her neck, the tentacle pinning her in place had been sliced cleanly through and Father Nightroad stood before her in Crusnik form.

“Father... Nightroad,” she whispered weakly and collapsed to the ground when her knees became too weak to hold her upright. Pain flared through her body with each movement she made, but it was dulled in the face of the fact that someone had come for her. “Thank you... for saving me.”

“You're pathetic.”

Kagome's eyes widened hearing the undisguised disgust coloring the priest's voice and she could do nothing but stare at him in shock. “What? Why would you...”

“Say that?” he asked, cutting her off abruptly, “Because it's true. How it is that you're supposed to be our savior I will never know. I should leave you here to die, if only to be rid of the burden that you present to us.”

The harsh words made her flinch and briefly she wondered if he truly meant that, but then she shook her head vehemently, “That's not true! “

“Isn't it? How long are you going to hide behind others, relying on them to protect you?” he sneered down at her, “Even now you lay crouched on the ground, unable to even stand up on your own. How can you think that you're anything but an annoyance? You expect to be coddled and taken care of. Just how many times do you expect someone to save you?”

Before she could retort to the angry words, cold water washed over her body like a stinging slap and she sat up with a gasp, the blanket she'd been clutching pooled in her lap.

“Take deep breaths, Kagome. It's alright now, you're safe,” Father Nightroad said urgently and gripped her shoulders gently, keeping her from falling over backwards. She'd scared them half to death when she'd started screaming in her sleep and they'd been unable to wake her. In the end, Inuyasha had been forced to retrieve some water and they'd thrown it over the girl in a last ditch effort to pull her from the dream she'd been seemingly trapped in.

“Father Nightroad?” she asked uncertainly, unsure if he was real or just another part of the nightmare. She could feel the worry pouring off of him and Tres through the bond, yet the words that the priest had spoken continued to haunt her. Was that how he really felt? The very idea cut her deeply and the pain that came with it nearly matched the pain in her chest. Realization came to her quickly and she began to frantically pull at her wet shirt, trying to pull it off even though she was surrounded by the others.

“Dammit, Kagome, hold on,” Inuyasha snapped and began sorting through the bag for a change of clothing for her. While there was no way that she could go back to sleep in those wet clothes, he didn't necessarily want a show either. Then again, he knew that she was likely to be delirious to begin with, he'd felt the searing heat radiating off of her body and when he'd moved closer, he could smell the sickness as well.

“You don't understand!” she shrieked and tugged at the shirt in spite of the hands attempting to restrain her. Buttons popped off haphazardly, scattering on the ground and the material parted. All attempts to restrain her stopped then, not because the others were enjoying the view, but because of the ugly burn marring her flesh. The sight of it had her breath coming in sharp pants and her vision dimmed, leaving her on the verge of passing out.

“You idiots, cover her up!” Inuyasha growled when he turned to see the others gawking, but when none of them made a move to do as he ordered, he moved to do it himself. Yet, the sight stopped even him, leaving him to stare in shock, “What the hell?”

Eventually, it was Sango who decided to take charge and she took the clothing from the hanyou's hand. “Father Nightroad, take her to my bedroll. We need to get her changed and that burn tended to,” she ordered tersely. A few more moments of the boys seeing the girl unclothed wasn't going to make that much of a difference. Not when they needed to get the miko treated and there was a chance that there was danger nearby. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that this injury had somehow managed to escape their attention. Nor was there any chance that Kagome could have received it by normal means while laying in her bedroll.

Quickly, Abel did as he was told and picked the miko up as carefully as he could, ignoring the fact that his own clothes were getting wet in the process. At least she wasn't fighting anymore, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. It could mean compliance because she knew that they were going to help her or, on the other hand, she could be going into shock. Truthfully, neither option would exactly surprise him any so it was best not to question it and just do what he could to help her.

The moment that the priest had laid Kagome upon the bedroll, Sango began stripping the girl's clothing off, leaving her only in her undergarments and then threw a blanket on top of her to keep her from getting a chill. Even now, the miko was shaking uncontrollably despite the scorching heat radiating off of her body. 'We'll deal with the dream in a few minutes. First things first, what's causing the fever?' The immediate answer that sprang to mind was an infection and Sango moved to strip the bandages off of her friend's leg in order to check the wound.

As soon as the first layer of gauze came off, Inuyasha had to cover his nose to shield himself from the smell that slammed into him. “Dammit, didn't you use that salve that Kagome always has in her pack?” he asked, his voice thick with worry. Injuries were commonplace with the amount of travel that they did and the fights they encountered; however, they'd never had to deal with an infection like this. Kagome's medicines had always been able to ward off any such illnesses before, so why hadn't it done so this time?

“Of course I did,” Sango snapped in irritation, barely sparing the hanyou a glance while continuing to unwrap the miko's leg. They were soaked through and the stench was overwhelming, yet, she continued on. The firelight did little to illuminate the immediate area, but it was more than enough for her to see that it was bad. Green pus oozed from the wound and she could see the dark streaks that ran through the fluid. To the uneducated, it would probably be passed off as blood; however, she knew better.

“Dammit,” she swore and looked up at the worried faces that surrounded her, “Miroku, start some water boiling, we've got to get this cleaned out. Father Nightroad, grab another blanket for her. She's going to go into shock from the poison and infection if we're not careful.”

When the two men moved to do as they were told, Inuyasha knelt beside the exterminator and examined the wound in Kagome's leg critically, “Are you positive its poison? Kagome said that the demon didn't bite her.”

“It didn't have to,” Sango replied and moved towards the miko's head to test her temperature. It was dangerously high and needed to be brought down quickly. “Shippo, get me a cold, wet rag please.”

“Right,” Shippo replied and rushed over to the pack that Kagome carried and fished out a rag. The water they'd collected for the night would be cool, but not enough for what Sango needed so instead, he ran towards Kirara. Immediately, she had changed to her larger form and carried him off towards the river.

Inuyasha watched the two of them disappear and then turned back to Sango, “What do you mean it didn't have to? The poison had to get there from somewhere.” Not to mention, wouldn't he have smelled it on her in the first place? But then he realized that he'd been keeping his distance from her so as not to give anyone the wrong ideas. He'd already interfered more than enough in the relationship developing between the three and he didn't need any misunderstandings coming to pass.

“Just what I said, it didn't have to. There is more than one type of snake demon, Inuyasha. I was a fool for not checking the variety myself because I thought we were too far north to worry about it. Some varieties coat their claws with the poison they secrete in their saliva,” Sango replied worriedly and moved just far enough back so that Father Nightroad could lay the second blanket over the miko. Once he was finished, she pulled it down far enough to expose the burn on the girl's chest.

“What would cause this?” Father Nightroad asked his brow furrowing as he examined the injury. Already the burn was an angry red and the skin was blistered along the length of her body. Fortunately, the blisters hadn't broken open yet and with luck they wouldn't. It was going to be difficult enough to heal them without the added risk of infection.

“I'm not sure,” Sango muttered and looked over to Miroku to see how the water was coming, “Is it boiling yet?”

“It just started,” the monk replied, “how long should I keep it over the fire?” Although he'd been taught many healing techniques, Kagome had brought quite a bit of knowledge with her. Where before, he would have just bathed the wound without any thought to the water, but now he knew that bacterium lived within the liquid and could complicate the problem if it wasn't boiled beforehand.

“Three minutes,” Sango said, answering the question without having to give it much thought. Had the monk paid better attention to the conversations she'd had with Kagome, he might have known the answer to the question already. It would take a while for the water to cool enough to be able to be applied to the burn, so they'd deal with the wound on Kagome's leg first. However, washing them both wasn't going to take care of the poison, nor the pain, and they had nothing that would be sufficient for what was needed.

Another chill wracked Kagome's body and wearily she opened her eyes. “Inuyasha,” she whispered, searching for her friend. She needed to make sure that he was alive and well, not dead like she'd feared in her dream.

“I'm here, Kagome,” he replied automatically and grasped her hand to reassure her that he was there. While he wasn't normally one to go to such measures, he'd heard the way she'd screamed for him and the others while trapped in the dream. God only knew what had been happening in her mind while it had been going on and he never wanted to hear her sound so terrified again.

Kagome almost seemed to go limp with relief and she took a deep breath, trying to shrug off the fear that she'd felt earlier, “I was... so afraid. You were all dead.” All except for Father Nightroad anyway and somehow she knew that hadn't been him. Naraku's laughter was too fresh in her memory to ever forget, he'd been the one to orchestrate the whole thing. She just knew it.

“Don't worry, Kagome. It was just a dream,” Shippo said quietly and laid the wet cloth against her forehead. He and Kirara had moved as quick as they could, but it still felt like it had taken far too long. At least now though she was awake, even if it seemed like she was looking straight through him instead of at him.

The kitsune's words seemed to comfort Kagome enough that she was able to close her eyes again, but Sango knew that it would be an uneasy rest at best. They just weren't equipped to deal with these types of injuries and there was no way they could move Kagome as she was at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the others, “Someone's going to have to go for help. Cool water will sooth the burn, but it won't do anything for the infection or the poison in her blood. Someone is going to have to go to Jinenji for help.”

“I'll go,” Miroku said quietly and stood up. There was no way that either of the priests could go, Jinenji didn't know them and it would take too long for them to explain who they were. While the hanyou would be more than willing to help, he didn't want to take more time than absolutely necessary in order to get the things that Kagome needed.

“Thank you, Miroku,” Sango said, giving him a small smile of appreciation, “Take Kirara with you, you'll get there faster.” That was a large worry off of her mind since she knew Miroku would be able to explain exactly what had happened and get the necessary medical supplies. Jinenji would do anything to help Kagome out and with Miroku going to see him; he'd be back in no time.

The idea of the monk going off alone didn't sit well with Inuyasha however, not with Naraku lurking about. Without his wind tunnel, Miroku was no match for the demon and he'd be exceedingly easy to take out while being separated from the main group. While he had no desire to leave Kagome alone right now, someone had to go with Miroku. Tres was out of the question and likely Abel was as well considering the way he was hovering over the miko. Shippo would be virtually useless and Sango was needed here. In the end, he was the only choice. “Oi, monk. Wait up, I'll be going with you,” he called to the other man's retreating back.

“Are you sure, Inuyasha?” Miroku asked while turning to look at the hanyou. He'd been expecting the man to remain behind to make sure that nothing else went wrong, although he wasn't about to complain if Inuyasha chose to come with him.

“Yeah, I'm sure,” Inuyasha replied and fixed both Abel and Tres with a hard look, “I'm trusting the two of you to keep an eye on things while we're gone. Naraku's behind this, I just know it and there's a good chance that he'll attack while we're split up. I don't want to come back to find you in the middle of a fight so finish it fast if it happens, alright?” He knew that even though Tres was injured, he could still tap into Kagome's powers. That wasn't even factoring in Abel's abilities, which might well be able to take Naraku out so long as he hadn't managed to completely regenerate.

“Don't worry about us, just get there, and acquire the medicines she needs,” Tres replied flatly. There was no need to tell them to look after Kagome, they would have done so regardless, and the hanyou should have realized that much by now. 'His fears are groundless, we would not allow Kagome to come to harm.'

The flash of anger that Inuyasha saw in the redhead's eyes was more than enough to reassure him that the priest was taking it seriously. Even Abel had lost his normal expression of absent mindedness and was focusing on Kagome with an intensity he hadn't seen from the man before. It was almost as if... he was looking for something on a deeper level, perhaps through the bond that no one but him could see. At any rate, Inuyasha knew that he needed to get moving if they were going to arrive at Jinenji's house anytime soon. “We'll be back as soon as we can,” he said at last and then nodded to Miroku who was already mounted on Kirara's back.

Tres watched the hanyou go and heaved a sigh. He'd almost volunteered to go himself, just to be able to do something useful, but something told him that he would be needed here. Even if nothing happened, he could feel the uncertainty coming from the girl that was radiating through the bond. While he wasn't sure what had prompted that sort of reaction, he wasn't going to allow it to continue to fester. Whatever she needed to quell those doubts, he was going to make sure that she had it.

It was only once the two men had vanished that Sango unsheathed one of her daggers and began examining the blade critically. In a way, she was thankful that the hanyou had volunteered to go since she knew what she would need to do next and Inuyasha screaming at her wasn't something she had wanted to listen to.

Father Nightroad watched the exterminator stand and make her way over to the fire. He didn't need to ask just what she was doing; he'd guessed it the moment she'd taken the knife out. With the amount of infection running through Kagome's body, there was a good chance that there had been major tissue damage and in order to prevent the spread of infection, it would need to be removed. However, with the poison coursing through her, it was a temporary solution at best until a more permanent solution could be found.

“Kagome,” he whispered to the half conscious girl and waited until her eyes focused on him, “Just hold on for a few more minutes okay, it'll be over soon. I promise I won't leave your side, even for a moment.”

The only acknowledgment that he was given was the slightest of winces before her eyes closed again and she seemed to withdraw into herself. How long she'd manage to retain that state of mind however was anyone's guess. A quick glance over to Sango revealed that she'd finished heating the knife in order to kill any lingering bacteria on the metal, and it wouldn't be long before she began to cut away the dead flesh.

“Tres,” Father Nightroad said quietly, gaining the other man's attention, “you'll need to help hold her down. Just be careful of the burn.” The footsteps drawing closer told him that it was time and gently he put one hand down on her shoulder to pin her to the ground. The other rested just above her knee in order to keep her from kicking at the woman who would be treating her in an effort to escape the pain. It wasn't a surprise to see that Tres had done the same, his expression set in a grim mask that revealed nothing.

To Sango, it didn't appear as if Kagome realized what was happening and for a moment, she hoped that was indeed the case. If nothing else, it might just make it a bit easier on the girl. Knowing that putting things off wasn't doing anyone any favors, she fixed Tres and Abel with an anxious stare, “No matter what happens, don't let go.”

“Just try to hurry,” Father Nightroad replied and braced himself for the fight that he knew was coming. Even if he hadn't been watching Sango's every move, he would have known the exact moment that she began pouring the now cool water on the miko's leg. The shudder that raced through Kagome's body was easily felt beneath his hands, but it was nothing compared to the jerk she gave when the exterminator began probing the wound.

Even though Sango was used to treating wounds, the stench was enough to make her stomach churn and she fought against the urge to vomit when the pus began to pour out along with the water. As she feared, the skin and muscle beneath had turned a sickly green color and she knew that it was going to have to come out. To leave such necrotic tissue in place only increased the chances that Kagome could lose her foot, if not her life. 'I knew it was going to be bad but this goes beyond what I was expecting. I don't know how she's managed to keep from screaming so far.'

Unfortunately, just rinsing it was the easy part and that had accomplished as much as it was going to do. It was time to start debriding the wound so she could see just how much flesh she would need to remove. Carefully she began scrubbing the gash, but she knew that no matter how gentle she was, it was bound to be painful. That theory was proven correct when Kagome attempted to jerk her leg free, despite how Father Nightroad was attempting to hold her down.

Kagome's eyes fluttered when the pressure increased on her bruised skin and reflexively she attempted to pull away. The effort was thwarted when the men increased the pressure and continued holding her down. Where it had been difficult, but not impossible to ignore the pain before, now it was becoming unbearable with each passing moment and even though she knew they were trying to help, she couldn't stop from struggling against them. “Stop,” she whimpered and tried to sit up. It didn't matter at the moment that what was happening was necessary; it was just too much to handle at this point in time.

“We're almost done. Just hold on for a little longer, Kagome,” Father Nightroad said, trying to reassure the girl even though he knew that the worst was still to come. He'd been watching Sango carefully, noting the intense look of concentration and worry on her face while she gently rubbed at the miko's leg and he was far from reassured. When the exterminator picked up the dagger again, he looked to his partner, “Get ready, Tres.”

When Sango looked up at the two of them, Tres scowled, “Unless there's a pressing matter for you to halt the procedure, do it now.” He was far from happy about what was going on and the pain combined with fear radiating through the bond had him even more on edge. His words got the woman moving though and it wasn't more than a couple of seconds later before Kagome's scream of pain echoed through the camp. Even though he was doing his best to hold onto her, the instinct to escape injury was giving the miko surprising strength and she took him off guard almost immediately. It was only the fact that Father Nightroad was putting most of his weight on her that kept the girl from getting away from the both of them.

Even Shippo was forced to jump into the fray in an effort to use his weight against her legs, attempting to keep her from thrashing while Sango worked as quickly as she could. He could see the fresh blood pouring from the wound while she cut deeply into the tissue and he had to look away.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually Sango decided that she'd gotten all of it that she possibly could and set the knife down so she could rinse the gash out again. Provided the others returned quickly, Kagome would be fine with only a large scar to remind her of the injury. “It's alright, Kagome. Just relax, I'm almost done,” she said and reached for the first aid kit again. It took a bit of rummaging around, but after a few moments her hand took a hold of the antibacterial cream and she pulled it out.

Father Nightroad relaxed his hold on the miko and began stroking her hair soothingly while Sango began slathering the cream in the gash. Most likely it would need to be cleaned out again once Inuyasha and Miroku arrived with the healer, but with luck the man would have something with him that would kill the pain. The miko relaxed almost immediately; although, he could see that she was far from all right. Her skin had taken on a nearly translucent shade and sweat dotted her brow.

Guilt weighed heavily on his mind since one of the reasons he'd even come to this time and left all he had known behind was to protect this girl so that she could destroy Naraku and somehow she'd been injured anyway. 'I can see that Tres feels as guilty as I do, if not more so since she was in his care. I can see it in his eyes in addition to feeling it through the bond we all share. We've both failed her even though I cannot fault Tres for it; he's done all that he could for her. If only I'd gotten there in time, this wouldn't have happened.' The guilt was weighing heavily on his shoulders and he refused to look up at his partner even though he could feel the weight of the other's stare. 'I'll make this up to both of them for my failure, even if it's the last thing I do.'

Tres stared at Father Nightroad for several long moments. He knew the man was attempting to come to terms with what had happened; however, there was nothing that he could do for him at the moment. They needed to finish treating Kagome and only then could they deal with the guilt that plagued them both. “Father Nightroad,” he said firmly, gaining the Crusnik's attention, “Deal with the consequences later, for now attend to the matter at hand.”

“Of course,” Father Nightroad said quietly and moved to retrieve the water that Miroku had left to cool. Carefully, he tested the temperature and while it wasn't what he'd consider cold, it wasn't hot either. It was to his surprise that when he turned back towards the others that he saw Kagome watching him intently, even if he couldn't say that she was lucid. Still, it was better than her being completely unresponsive. Slowly he took the cloth from her forehead and dipped it into the water. “We're going to tend to your burn now, Kagome. Try not to move.”

Seeing that the priest was about to start washing the area down, Sango opened her mouth to object, but stopped short of saying anything. She couldn't exactly protest against his assistance, even if the girl was exposed to a certain extent. There just wasn't room under the circumstances for her objections. After all, how many times had she and Kagome tended to Miroku and Inuyasha when they'd fallen injured? Instead she sighed and shook her head, “Be careful not to pop the blisters when you're doing that. Right now we've got to cool the area down. Shippo? Why don't you see about taking some of the gauze out of the kit and get it ready?”

Shippo nodded and climbed carefully off of the miko's lap to do as he was told. Tears welled up in his eyes hearing the girl whimper in pain when the priest began to wipe her down. He always had hated seeing Kagome hurt and this was no exception, he could only pray that the others would return soon. In the meantime, he'd help out however he could and right now, to try and reassure his friend would only mean he'd be in the way.

So to busy himself, Shippo carefully began removing each square of gauze from its packaging and then set it aside where it could be easy reached. He thought about applying the cream Sango had been using to each piece, but then decided against it. There was no way for him to know whether it would help the girl or make things worse so instead he just went with what little he knew.

“I'll be back in just a couple of minutes,” Shippo said to Sango and bounded off into the woods. More than once he'd been careless and gotten burned when his parents were still alive. Fortunately, his mother had been rather skilled with healing herbs and had done her best to pass the knowledge onto him. Unfortunately, he hadn't been too keen on paying attention at the time and now he wished he had. However, he did remember the plant she'd used even if he didn't remember the name. For now, he considered himself lucky to remember even that much and he knew fortune was smiling down on him, if only a little since he remembered seeing a clump of the plant earlier in the day.

“Now where was it,” he muttered to himself when he reached the general area. It was a pity things looked so different in the middle of the night, but he wasn't going to allow that to hinder him either. Carefully, he searched through the darkness and when he finally found the broad leafed plant he nearly jumped for joy, but it was short lived given the gravity of the situation. 'I just hope that kitsune medicine works on humans.' Quickly, he stripped several of the leaves from the thick stalks and raced back towards the camp with his bounty clutched in one hand. Most likely they would be finished with cooling the burn down and he knew that putting the gauze on dry would be disastrous. It wouldn't take long for the material to stick to her skin, making things even more complicated than they already were.

It was no surprise when all attention turned towards him as he raced into camp, but he couldn't be bothered with explanations. Carefully, he removed some of the water that Father Nightroad had at his side and began washing the leaves before spreading them out on one of the plates from Kagome's pack. While he didn't have the materials his mother did back then, there were plenty of things on hand he could use instead. With a rock that had been sterilized by the heat of the fire, he began mashing part of the leaves. With the surfaces broken, a thick, white liquid began oozing out to congeal the pieces into a rather thick paste.

“What are you doing, Shippo?” Father Nightroad asked curiously even though the kitsune seemed completely absorbed in his task of pulverizing the leaves. He could only imagine what the leaves were for. Given the time period, herbal remedies were all that the people had to rely on and he suspected that the child was attempting to make such a poultice for use on Kagome.

“It's a paste for her burn,” Shippo replied quickly and examined the paste critically. It looked almost identical to the stuff that he was used to so he deemed it ready to apply. Quickly, he coated the remaining leaves with the ointment and carried them over to the miko's side. “My mother used to make it when I'd burn myself accidentally. After a couple of minutes, she won't even feel it anymore!” he boasted proudly and handed one of the leaves to the silver haired priest. The other he applied himself, pressing gently to the leaf's surface to ensure the paste was properly coating the girl's burned flesh.

Through the pain, Kagome heard his words and, despite the brave front she was trying to maintain, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “Thank you, Shippo,” she whispered and tried to smile for the kitsune. It was thoughtful of the young demon to try to help, even to the extent of digging through the memories of his family which she knew were still raw and painful for him.

“You're welcome, Kagome,” Shippo replied quietly, “try not to talk alright? I'll be done in a minute.” His fingers continued to work gently over the leaves and within moments the lines of pain creasing the miko's face began to ease. Carefully, he pulled his hands away and regarded her thoughtfully. “If you want to sleep, you should probably try. It'll take a while for Inuyasha and Miroku to get back and we can't do much until then. It will also help the medicine work faster.”

Wearily, Kagome shook her head, “I'm... not tired.” The dubious look that the others gave her would have made her chuckle under normal circumstances, but as it was, it was all she could do to just lay there. Truthfully, she'd love the chance to go back to sleep; however, fear stopped her. There was no way that she wanted to confront that nightmare again and somehow she knew that if she were to give in, that was exactly what would be waiting for her once again.

Both Tres and Abel shared a look with each other, clearly not convinced with what she had said. But they'd also felt the unease she was experiencing and they weren't about to push her either. So instead, Father Nightroad busied himself with ensuring that she was as comfortable as she could be while Tres kept an eye out for any possible danger. “There's no reason to fear, Kagome, neither of us are going to leave you. Both Tres and I have made a vow to keep you safe, never forget that. We're here for as long as you have need of us. It isn't just your survival that hangs in the balance, but ours as well along with everyone that all three of us hold dear to our hearts and minds. We'll do anything to protect that."

The look that Kagome gave him was unreadable and after several long moments, she closed her eyes. “Even from myself?” she asked quietly and braced herself for the questions that were sure to follow. She could feel the surprise coming from both priests and somehow knew that if she were to open her eyes, she would see the astonishment on both Sango and Shippo's faces as well.

“Explain what you mean, Kagome,” Tres demanded harshly. The feeling of wrongness had suddenly spiked and he still had no idea just what the hell was going on through the girl's head. He was under no illusions that the miko was suicidal or would purposely place herself in harm's way, but the question she posed wasn't one a normal person would ask. Especially after what had just happened, there was no way in hell he was going to let this go with no explanation.

Kagome gave a humorless laugh and opened her eyes to give him a pained look, “You of all people should know what I mean. I'm the reason you got hurt, or have you forgotten already? None of you can deny that I've become a hindrance. Even if you haven't said it directly, I know the truth. It's more than feelings of inadequacy. I want to help, but there's only so much I can do and it's a weakness that effects the entire group.”

“What in the hell would make you think such a thing?” Tres snarled down at her in a rare show of anger, “You are the reason we're here in the first place. Without you, the possibility of Naraku's destruction would be nonexistent. Leave the fighting to those of us which are trained for combat instead of thinking you're no longer of use to us.”

“But he said...” Kagome trailed off, falling silent when she saw the raw anger blazing in the priest's eyes. She'd seen him wear many expressions before, but fury had never been one of them and she wasn't sure how to respond to it.

“Who said?” Father Nightroad said, drawing the miko's attention away from his partner. At this point, he wasn't sure the girl was completely lucid and he was inclined to be more lenient when it came to taking her words seriously. When she turned slightly unfocused eyes on him, he gently laid his hand on her shoulder, “Kagome, talk to us. Did someone say something to make you believe that?”

It was the earnest look in his eyes that made Kagome continue, in spite of her misgivings. “You did, I think,” she said at last and wondered if she'd come to regret it when she saw his eyes widen in disbelief. “In my dream, you said...” she trailed off again and then shook her head, “it doesn't matter. It was just a dream, forget I said anything.”

“Like hell,” Sango said, entering into the conversation, “Kagome, don't be foolish. You can't tell us that this,” she gestured at the burn on the miko's chest, “was just a part of the dream too. Tell us what the hell happened so we can deal with it!”

A shudder wracked Kagome's body and she steeled herself against the memory that Sango was asking her to recall. As much as she wanted to tell them all that she wasn't ready, she knew they wouldn't leave her alone, not until she gave them the answers they wanted. “I was dying again,” she said at last, wishing that she could just pretend that it hadn't happened, “It was dark, but I could hear him even if I couldn't see him. His laughter, it was all around me, taunting me for falling into his hands again.”

“Naraku told you this?” Father Nightroad asked uneasily. While he didn't know much about the demon, something told him that he wouldn't be bothered with telling her such things and, if he had, Kagome certainly wouldn't have believed him. No, something didn't sit right with him as far as what she'd said went, but he was also certain that she wasn't finished speaking either. 'There's more to this, especially considering that she said I was the one who had said such things.' There was also the fact that she was being burned to death in the dream and it had transferred into reality; he knew that they had a greater problem to deal with in addition to her insecurities. 'Is there no end to what Naraku can influence?'

“No, you came and then drove away the fires,” Kagome explained quietly, “but you were so angry, like I wasn't even worth the effort.” The incredulous looks she was receiving made her face burn with shame for having said anything in the first place. Was accepting that she was a weakness to the group really such a grievous offense? Even if she hadn't wanted to hear it, she'd been forced to realize it was the truth. Surely, knowing that would make it easier for her to lessen the burden, wouldn't it?

The look of defeat in her eyes had Father Nightroad reaching out to stroke her cheek gently, “Kagome, you should know by now that nothing Naraku says can be trusted. Neither of us would look at you like that much less speak those words. Trust in us, before accepting what that viper would have you believing about yourself.” Now he could understand why the words had hit her so hard. To have a trusted friend demean you in such a fashion, after seeing you at your most vulnerable, would be a blow to anyone and Kagome was no exception.

For a moment, Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but it died before she could utter the first word. No matter how real it felt, she couldn't deny the sincerity that she felt radiating from the bond. The truth of his words was plain for her to see and with the slightest of nods she conceded his point. “You're right,” she whispered and tried to stem the tears of relief that threatened to break free. For too long she'd lived with doubts about herself and she knew that it made her weak, susceptible to outside influence and Naraku would be all too happy to exploit that fact. Carefully, she brought her hand up to cover his and held it in place against her face, relishing in the comfort that he was offering. “You'll stay here if I fall asleep?” she asked quietly, weariness creeping into her voice.

“Of course we will. Just rest for now,” Father Nightroad replied and made himself comfortable beside her. A quick look to Tres revealed that he was doing the same on the opposite side of the girl. While he didn't look pleased with what they'd learned, at least he was considerably calmer than what he had been. Something told him that sometime soon, the man would be pulling Kagome aside to have a long talk with her, but for now he was being considerate enough to allow her to rest. Until then, they would keep watch over her and do their best to ensure that Naraku couldn't reach her a second time. Slowly, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink deeper within the bond, merging his conscious with it and standing guard over her mind. Until the others returned, they couldn't afford to take any chances and he'd be damned if Naraku would reach her in this way again on his watch.

End of Chapter Eleven